Meet G2G, NAWBO Columbus Public Policy Partners

Introducing G2G, NAWBO Columbus Public Policy Partners!

Liz Powell, Esq., MPH, started her company, G2G Consulting, 16 years ago to connect fellow business owners to government opportunities and resources. G2G stands for Government to Growth. Liz says, “I believe that a business owner can speed up business growth by working with government leaders through policy or funding.” Since she founded the firm, her team has raised $528M in non-dilutive government funding for their clients.

Why Does NAWBO need a public policy partner? 

“Advocacy is a priority for NAWBO because our government leaders must recognize the impact of women-owned businesses and the specific challenges we face,” says Hilary Kirchner, Vice President of Public Policy and Owner and CEO of Dream Write Creative LLC. 

Even as more women choose the flexibility and opportunities that running a small business offers, certain antiquated business and governmental policies make it challenging. For example, women encounter more barriers to accessing contracting opportunities and capital or attracting and retaining talent. Our members reported that to be considered for government contracts, they had to be certified as a woman-owned business by each location where they do business. This was a huge burden for them because each city has its own complicated certification process with plenty of red tape. In response, NAWBO helped those members provide testimony for Ohio SB105, a law requiring cities to recognize the state-level Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), and Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE) certifications. The law took effect in June 2022.

How will G2G support our advocacy efforts? 

“We take a proactive approach by continuously monitoring events and conversations happening in the Statehouse, in the community, and at the federal level,” Andrea Harless, MPA, Director of Government Affairs & Columbus Office, explains. “When we hear something important to NAWBO members, we’ll mobilize our resources to get NAWBO in front of the right legislators. Often, our legislators are not aware of the challenges women business owners face.”

For example, a few years ago, NAWBO Columbus was instrumental in passing a state law defining microbusinesses. This law made it easier for small business owners to compete for loans and other resources. We accomplished this through face-to-face education and engagement with crucial state legislators. That win also led to the state certification of the Women Business Enterprise Program (WBE). 

“Making an impact starts with having a seat at the table when leaders make decisions affecting your livelihood,” Liz remarks. 

Advocacy is both relationship-building and providing education 

Many legislators are not aware of the disparities women-business owners experience or the existence of organizations like NAWBO. “The more awareness we can drive, the more opportunities we will have to share our stance on issues,” Andrea remarks. “The goal is to become the go-to resource for local and state legislators on all things concerning women and business.” 

NAWBO advocacy efforts also include educating members. Liz says, “There are so many public funding and resources available to help women-owned businesses grow. We want to make sure NAWBO members are aware of them.” 

G2G will also help the committee prepare members to get more involved in advocacy efforts and solve problems that may arise. “Our goal is to make the process of advocacy easier and more understandable for NAWBO members,” Andrea says.

NAWBO’s 2024 Advocacy Goals

Aside from providing testimony to state and local leaders whenever possible, the Public Policy Committee’s focus for 2024 will  customize the NAWBO National Advocacy Agenda to the needs of NAWBO Columbus members by:

• Bolstering the growth of microbusinesses with new legislation
• Advocating for the timely completion of a state-wide disparity study
• Positioning NAWBO Columbus as the voice of business in Ohio
• And more

In addition, the Public Policy Committee will host a Legislator Meet-and-Greet event for members on April 9. All NAWBO Members are encouraged to attend and share their experiences with legislators, government officials, and the Public Policy Committee. Our leaders can’t do what they do without your input! Stay tuned for more details soon. 

“Having face time with legislators is the best way to get things done at the statehouse. Becoming the voice of business is crucial to changing the economic landscape for women-owned businesses in Ohio,” Hilary says. 

About G2G Consulting

G2G Consulting is a women-led business that provides bipartisan government-to-growth strategies by providing comprehensive government affairs, public relations, and economic development services for businesses and nonprofits. G2G finds non-dilutive funding, builds relationships, and influences policies and regulations for business owners and changemakers from across the country on the federal, state, and local levels of government.G2G has offices in Columbus, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. 

About NAWBO’s Advocacy Efforts

Since 1975, NAWBO has been the voice of women business owners—making sure we are at the table with key decision makers on Capitol Hill and speaking out on the issues that are most important, plus empowering our chapter leaders and members to do the same in their states and communities across the U.S. To best represent the diversity within our membership, all the business advocacy issues we engage in are bipartisan in nature.

For more information about the Public Policy Committee, contact Hilary Kirchner, Vice President of Public Policy, at hilary@dreamwritecreative.com.